Nov 30, 2010 he was the original most popular driver in nascar. Born in 1940, gant enjoyed a stellar nascar career one marked by success into his 40s and 50s. Bill elliott won nascar s most popular driver award 16 times, more than any driver in history. Ranking the most popular drivers of all time in nascars sprint. Others, like the 20 greatest nascar drivers of all time, are more clear. Ranking the 20 greatest nascar drivers of all time fox sports. From detroit cabbie to cup champion to one of the most beloved announcers ever, benny parsons was as popular and competitive as any person in nascar history.
Nascar s popularity is rising as fast as it ever has. Every year, the nmpa national motorsports press association gives the award for most popular nascar driver and has done this since the first year of the sprint cup series back in 1949. The following is a list compiling the total number of career victories in nascar cup series competition. At the 20 daytona 500, patrick became the first female driver to clinch pole position and lead a green flag lap. The annual award is determined 100% by fan voting, and elliott, 24, topped the ballot for the second consecutive year. His time in the broadcast booth cemented his place in the hall of fame with the class of 2017. Dec 06, 2019 jimmie johnson has never won the most popular driver award in his cup career. Voting opens for 2019 nmpa most popular driver mrn. He won a huge list of accolades, championships, and awards during his career, and his style of driving lead to him being nicknamed the intimidator. In 20, patrick became the first woman in sprint cup history to race fulltime in the series. Also items on kyle buschs emotional moment on stage and if momentum is building for a race in nashville. Earnhardt tops all nascar and indycar drivers on mvpindexs. Dec 02, 2018 fine line helped write and produce this video for the 2018 nascar monster energy cup series awards on nbcsn. He was presented with the award at the blacktie nascar sprint.
But there are very few times when the entire fan base comes together to cheer one a specific. While it wasnt surprising chase elliott was voted the most popular driver in nascars cup series, the driver said it was a special moment because his father bill won the award 16 times during his. But thats mostly because his career has paralleled that of both dale earnhardt jr. Sep 04, 2019 the 2019 nmpa most popular driver will be announced during the monster energy nascar cup series awards program on thursday, december 5.
Nascar hall of famer and 1988 cup champion bill elliott remains the record holder, having been chosen most popular driver 16 times 198488, 19912000 and 2002 during his career. Elliott sadler has won the xfinity series most popular driver award, marking his third consecutive year as the recipient and fourth overall, nascar announced wednesday. The national association for stock car auto racing nascar is an american auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stockcar racing. He was the first to eclipse the 210 mph mark on a superspeedway then won the first. Bill elliott is the nascar racer with a thousands names. She came over to nascar after a decent indycar career, where she won a race. A bit of history has now been tied thanks to sadler winning the award. Ranking the most popular drivers of all time in nascars. Fine line helped write and produce this video for the 2018 nascar monster energy cup series awards on nbcsn.
Nascars most popular driver award is awarded to the most popular nascar driver in the monster energy nascar cup series, xfinity series, and camping world truck series every year since 1956. It is consequently the most popular and most profitable nascar series. Since 2001, the cup series season has consisted of 36 races over 10 months. Today it is voted for by fans across the united states the award is presented by the national. He joins kenny wallace and brad keselowski as the only threetime recipients of the most popular driver title in the history. Elliotts father, bill, won the award a record 16 times, including 10. Chase elliott was voted national motorsports press associations most popular driver award for 2019. It started as a poll of the drivers and then all monster energy nascar cup series competitors. Kyle busch earns second nascar champion trophy, chase. Elliott sadler named xfinity series most popular driver. The innovation of the new chase for the sprint cup format adds playoff pressure, and famous drivers like jeff gordon, dale earnhardt, jr.
Ranking the 20 greatest nascar drivers of all time harry gant. In this age of social media, one of the best ways to gauge a persons popularity is to count their twitter followers. Chase elliott wins most popular driver award in nascar cup. Sponsored by hamburger helper in 2010, it was also sponsored by wheaties in 2011. Daytonas top ten nascar stock cars popular mechanics. The only sport in the united states with more fans than nascar is professional football. April 24 today in jayskis nascar history jayskis nascar. Over the next three decades, the younger france 19332007 was instrumental in transforming nascar from a regional sport popular primarily in the southeast u. Earnhardt began his career with a winston cup race in 1975 at charlotte motor speedway. Elliott, who was given the honor on thursday night the awards banquet in nashville, won the award for the second consecutive season after taking the baton in 2018 from former hendrick motorsports teammate dale earnhardt jr. During the monster energy nascar cup series awards event in las vegas on thursday night, elliott was named the winner of the 2018 national motorsports press associations most popular driver award. Today it is voted for by fans across the united states. The nascar cup series ncs is the sports highest level of professional competition. His nickname was awesome bill from dawsonville, a tribute to his popularity and his hometown in georgia.
The award was first presented to curtis turner in 1949 at the completion of nascars inaugural season. Nascars most popular driver award is awarded to the most popular nascar driver in the monster energy nascar cup series, xfinity series, and camping. Chase elliotts run as nascars most popular driver hit two. Nov, 2009 over the next three decades, the younger france 19332007 was instrumental in transforming nascar from a regional sport popular primarily in the southeast u. Aug 18, 2019 one of the biggest rushes you get while being a nascar fan is watching your favorite driver win a race. Why nascar still hands out a most popular driver award forbes. Elliott wins 2019 most popular driver award hendrick motorsports.
His seven winston cup championships tied him with richard petty for the most wins in the history of nascar. Chase elliott wins most popular driver award in nascar cup series. As nascar continuously declines in popularity, the most popular drivers continue to retire. In 2006, the daytona 500 attracting nearly 20 million viewers, directly competing with the nfl. Patrick is easily the most overrated driver in nascar history. Can you list the 100 top nascar drivers of alltime. Is jimmie johnson greatest nascar driver of alltime. Petty, earnhardt, gordon, johnson nascar has a host of legendary drivers from. Chase elliott voted most popular driver for second.
Kevin harvick, the 2014 nascar cup champion and winner of a serieshigh four races this year, has a nomination to succeed. It was chases father, nascar hall of famer bill elliott, who won the most popular driver a record 16 times before junior would win it 15 times. Cup series most popular driver award jayskis nascar silly. Programs like drive for diversity, which started in 2004, aim to expand the reach of historically underrepresented groups in the sport through a series of internships, pittraining programs, and driver courses through rev racing. Strictly stock 1949 grand national series 19501970 winston cup series 19712003 nextel cup series 20042007 sprint cup series 20082016. Big names and largerthanlife characters to go along with it.
Chase elliott named 2018 nascar cup series most popular driver. From there, he would go on to earn 76 wins and seven championships, all in the modern nascar era 1972present. Winner of the 1980 daytona 500 and one of the most affable drivers in the sports history, he went on to a long and popular career as a broadcaster. Kevin harvick, the 2014 nascar cup champion and winner of a serieshigh four races this year, has a nomination to succeed retired dale earnhardt jr.
Nascars popularity is rising as fast as it ever has. Africanamericans comprise just 8 percent of nascars fan base. Last week, it was reported dei offered dale earnhardt jr. That year, patrick became the first woman to win the nascar most popular nationwide driver award. To drive for new team in 2008 fourtime nascar most popular driver, dale earnhardt jr.
The fans have spoken, and the legacy lives on for another year. Chase elliott voted nascars most popular driver for second time. His record was unbroken until jimmie johnson tied his wins in 2016. It was the most dominant seasonlong performance in the history of nascar and one of the great achievements in the history of motorsports. Sep 04, 2019 nascar hall of famer and 1988 cup champion bill elliott remains the record holder, having been chosen most popular driver 16 times 198488, 19912000 and 2002 during his career. Not everyone driver has to win a sprint cup title to prove they are a champion. Who are nascars most popular drivers, according to twitter. Nascar home tracks the official website of nascars. Hes now only 14 most popular driver awards short of his nascar hall of fame father, bill elliott, who holds the alltime record with 16 of the. Nascar s most popular driver award is awarded to the most popular nascar driver in the monster energy nascar cup series, xfinity series, and camping world truck series every year since 1956.
Oddly, jeff gordon has never won the official award as nascars most popular driver. When she joined nascar, patrick was given some great racing equipment, including a stewarthaas car in the cup series. Race fans have selected him a record 15 consecutive times as nascars most popular driver. Fireball roberts remains one of the most famous nascar drivers of all timeand not just because he was. The company is headquartered in daytona beach, florida. One of the biggest rushes you get while being a nascar fan is watching your favorite driver win a race.
Nascar driver chase elliotts family has long history at the. Nbcsn, mrn and siriusxm will provide coverage of this years program. The official annual award, for the record, has been around since 1956, when it. Ranking the most popular drivers of all time in nascars sprint cup series. Most popular driver award winners nascar cup series mrn. May 10, 2020 to drive for new team in 2008 fourtime nascar most popular driver, dale earnhardt jr. Most popular driver award archives nascar talk nbc sports. The most overrated nascar drivers betamerica extra.
May 10 today in jayskis nascar history jayskis nascar. The privately owned company was founded by bill france sr. Hendrick motorsports driver chase elliott was named the. The three most popular and largest nascar series today are the sprint cup series now the monster energy nascar cup series, the xfinity series, and the camping world truck series. During 20032009, he was voted nascars most popular driver. Jun 15, 2017 bill, now 61, was a driver in the cup series from 1976 through 2012, winning the series title in 1988 and earning the title of the sports most popular driver a record 16 times. Ranking the 20 greatest nascar drivers of all time fox. The 2019 nmpa most popular driver will be announced during the monster energy nascar cup series awards program on thursday, december 5. Since then, the sport has lost more than 45% of its audience and a large portion of the most popular drivers including, jeff gordon, dale earnhardt jr. So, here is one persons view of the 10 most iconic numbers in nascar. The 8 most hated nascar drivers of 2018 chairgatin. There are tons of great drivers in the storied history of nascar. The most popular driver award will be handed out with all the other nascar cup awards on thursday in nashville nbc sports network.
The greatest cheats in nascar history popular mechanics. Bill elliott chases father holds the record for alltime most popular driver honors with 16. The award is presented by the national motorsports press association. It is the 11th win at bristol by a hendrick motorsports driver. While it wasnt surprising chase elliott was voted the most popular driver in nascar s cup series, the driver said it was a special moment because his father bill won the award 16 times during his. In 1998, he won his first nationwide series race at the cocacola 300. These famous nascar drivers set the pace for one of the most competitive racing circuits in the world.
The list recognizes cup victories under the following auspices. That award is almost as predictable as guessing the outcome of a denver broncos vs. List of alltime nascar cup series winners wikipedia. Bill elliott won nascars most popular driver award 16 times, more than any driver in history.
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